India's charts in 2026 tell a story the big entertainment sites mostly miss. Some of the most streamed, most shared and most exciting music in the country is coming from artists singing in Haryanvi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Khasi and more, often without a label or a film behind them.
Here are 12 regional artists you should know, with links to their full stories.
1. Dhanda Nyoliwala (Haryanvi)
The Nyoli-born, Australia-based rapper who pioneered Haryanvi drill. Russian Bandana has passed 240 million Spotify streams and his 2026 album Kohram hit the top 15 of Spotify's Top Albums India chart.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-dhanda-nyoliwala-haryanvi-rap
2. Banjaare (Haryanvi)
Brothers Sumit and Anuj from Kurukshetra, whose songs Barsaat and Bairan both sat in India's top 10 this year.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/banjaare-barsaat-bairan-song-story
3. Rawme Hooda (Haryanvi)
A rapper-producer with five releases in 2026, from Total to Pump Up, and a slot at RAP91 LIVE.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-rawme-hooda-haryanvi-rapper
4. Reble (Meghalaya)
The Khasi and Pnar rapper from West Jaintia Hills whose verses powered Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-reble-meghalaya-rapper
5. Paal Dabba (Tamil)
The former dancer from Chennai behind 170CM, Kaathu Mela and Galatta, now singing for A. R. Rahman and Sai Abhyankkar.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-paal-dabba-tamil-rapper
6. Arivu (Tamil)
The Casteless Collective songwriter behind Enjoy Enjaami and Vaathi Raid, still writing songs with something to say.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-arivu-enjoy-enjaami-tamil-rapper
7. Sai Abhyankkar (Tamil)
The young composer who went from indie singles like Aasa Kooda to scoring Karuppu.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/sai-abhyankkar-songs-radhimaa-profile
8. Killa K (Tamil, Bengaluru)
The Bengaluru rapper who turned the 1968 classic Thillana Mohanambal into a rap battle with Paal Dabba on Adada.
Read: https://mediamarvels.in/news/killa-k-paal-dabba-adada-thillana-mohanambal-def-jam
9. Sanju Rathod (Marathi)
The Jalgaon singer whose Gulabi Sadi and Shaky took Marathi pop to Times Square and the top of YouTube's global chart.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-sanju-rathod-gulabi-sadi-shaky
10. Aditya Gadhvi (Gujarati)
Kaviraj himself, the folk singer whose Khalasi made Gujarati folk global and whose Albeli Matwali Maiya won an international award in 2026.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-aditya-gadhvi-khalasi-gujarati-folk
11. Navjot Ahuja (Hindi, Jaipur)
The Jaipur songwriter whose 26th song, Khat, held No. 1 on Spotify's Global Viral 50 for more than 30 days.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-navjot-ahuja-khat-song-story
12. Kinari (Hindi, Delhi)
Delhi's first trans rapper, whose album Kattar Kinnar was one of 2024's best Indian records.
Full story: https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-kinari-delhi-trans-rapper-kattar-kinnar
What these artists have in common
1. They sing in their own language and do not dilute it.
2. Most built an audience independently before labels or films came calling.
3. Short-form video and streaming playlists carried their songs far beyond their home states.
4. They draw on folk, cinema and street culture that is specific to where they come from.
The numbers back it up. Spotify says Haryanvi listening more than doubled year on year, and its Marathi rap playlist grew more than 155% in a year. Read more at https://mediamarvels.in/news/spotify-haryanvi-101-playlist-launch-dhanda-nyoliwala-banjaare and https://mediamarvels.in/news/marathi-rap-boom-2026-badshah-chimna-nagesh-morwekar.
Regional artists: FAQs
Which regional music is growing fastest in India?
Haryanvi and Marathi are among the fastest-growing on Spotify, with Haryanvi listening more than doubling year on year.
Who is the biggest Haryanvi rapper?
Dhanda Nyoliwala is the most streamed Haryanvi rapper, with Russian Bandana past 240 million Spotify streams.
Who is the rapper on the Dhurandhar soundtrack?
Reble, from Meghalaya.
Who sang Khat?
Navjot Ahuja from Jaipur.
Are you the next name on this list? Media Marvels exists to put regional and independent artists in front of real listeners. Promote your music at https://mediamarvels.in/promote.
Image: Haryanvi folk performers in traditional dress. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, used under its free licence.
